Mercury Rising

Steve Schmidt, a former senior White House strategist who served as California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2006 campaign manager, has joined Mercury Public Affairs as a partner based out of the firm’s Sacramento office.

Mercury’s managing partner Kieran Mahoney said Schmidt has been “part of an elite brain trust that has shaped critical moments in American politics,” adding that in his new position he will be “one of the top public affairs advisors of his generation.” Â

While serving as a deputy assistant to President Bush, Schmidt played a role in the confirmations of Chief Justice John Roberts and Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court. He also performed a month-long assessment of media relations in Baghdad at the request of U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalizad.

Schmidt is one of four board members of Schwarzenegger’s main political fund, the California Recovery Team. He’s also a senior advisor to U.S. Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign.

By my count, there are now two Mercury folks with McCain (Schmidt and Terry Nelson), one with former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani (Mike McKeon) and one with former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore (Mahoney).